Knowing what to watch for is the first step in helping your pet get over an eye infection. Read about the symptoms of eye infections, and what they mean.

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The most common symptoms of eye infections in dogs and cats are what you might expect: swelling and redness in the eye. Watch for these typical symptoms of eye infections:

Redness

Cloudy iris

Swelling

Pawing or rubbing the eyes

Discharge which can be runny, thick, green, or yellow

Squinting and blinking

While many types of eye infections share these symptoms, some symptoms are a strong indicator that your pet has a certain type of infection.

A thick mucous layer on the eye usually points to dry eye, meaning your pet’s eyes aren’t getting enough refreshing moisture from their tears. This could be due to a malfunctioning or misplaced tear duct. Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, or KCS, occurs when the immune system attacks the tear glands, interfereing with the productions of tears.

A red growth at the corner of the eye is likely cherry eye—a condition that occurs when the tear duct of the pet’s nictitating membrane, or third eyelid, protrudes from under the eyelid.

Curled-under eyelids may be hard to notice, but if you think this is causing your pet’s other eye troubles by irritating the eye, they may have entropion, which is a turning-in of the eyelid margins.

Blood or pus in the front area of the eye can mean your pet has uveitis, an inflammation of the inner pigmented structures of the eye.

Opaque spots on your pet’s eye lens are probably cataracts. See your veterinarian about whether it’s best to leave them alone, or if surgically removing them would help your pet’s quality of life.

If the symptoms of your pet’s eye infection don’t go away after 48 hours, be sure to see your veterinarian. A small scratch or irritation may heal on its own, but a more serious problem may need treatment right away.

More on Infections in Pets

This information is for informational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for the professional advice of, or diagnosis or treatment by, your veterinarian with respect to your pet. It has, however, been verified by a licensed veterinarian for accuracy.